


I'll ask you nicely but I won't ask twice

by torigates



Category: Parks and Recreation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 12:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben’s plan was to walk into Chris’ office and explain calmly and rationally yet passionately why he wanted to go on a date with Leslie Knope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll ask you nicely but I won't ask twice

  
Ben’s plan was to walk into Chris’ office and explain calmly and rationally yet passionately why he wanted to go on a date with Leslie Knope.

Ben liked his plans in general and this one in particular. Plans made things easier. They made things run smoother and increased exponentially the chances for success. Ben loved plans—they were straight forward and simple. They told you what to do.

He could basically chalk up his failure as mayor up to a lack of planning (well, that and being an eighteen year old that was more concerned with going to the prom than balancing a budget), and once Ben figured that out he promised himself he wouldn’t go without a plan again. It was for the better.

He knocked on Chris’ door, and Chris smiled up at him when he looked up from his desk.

“Ben,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “How are you on this _absolutely_ wonderful day?”

“Uh,” Ben said. “Good.”

“Great,” Chris said, beckoning him in. “That is just great.” He looked honestly pleased by the news.

The thing about Chris was, Ben figured was that he should hate his fucking guts. They’d worked together for a long time, Ben and Chris, and it always went the same way. Chris would come in and boost morale and tell everyone that their fuck ups weren’t actually that bad. He’d smile at them in the way he was smiling at Ben now and learn their names and show an interest in their lives. _Be_ interested in their lives.

Which left Ben to swoop in with his scowl and negative news to tell them that no, things actually were that bad, and yes, there would have to be sacrifices.

That was the way they did things. That was the way they _planned_ things, and it worked for them. So maybe Ben should dislike Chris—for being better liked, for making things harder, but the truth was they worked well together, and after every town Chris would turn to him and say, “You should really let me be the bad guy next time,” and Ben would smile and say, “Don’t worry about it.”

And Chris wouldn’t. At least not that Ben could see (as if Chris could be the bad guy even if he _tried_ ). No, this worked for them.

“What can I do for you?” Chris asked when Ben was seating across from him.

He scratched the back of his neck and took a moment to collect his thoughts. Chris looked settled in his office. Not only in a specific 'in the moment kind' of way where he looked like he was having a good day. Chris always looked like he was having a good day. He looked settled in a more general, permanent kind of way. The two of them had been on the road together for so long, moving from town to town, from place to place, it was kind of jarring to see Chris now looking like he belonged there. Ben thought he could belong here too.

“I, uh, want to ask someone out on a date,” he said, getting straight to the point.

Chris grinned and slapped his palm on the desk. “You do?” he asked. “Ben that is great. That is just great. I have the perfect girl for you,” he said. “She’s just your type, and you two will get along great—”

“What?” Ben asked, cutting him off when he could finally get his throat to start working again. “No,” he said. “No, no. I, uh, have someone in mind actually.”

Chris smiled again. “Well that’s great, Ben. Do you need some tips? Advice on where to go—?”

“No! No, nothing like that,” Ben hurried on before Chris could get carried away. “It’s just. She’s someone in the Pawnee Government.”

Chris’ face fell, and Ben felt a knot in his stomach clench.

“Oh,” Chris said. “Oh, I see.” He paused and Ben thought this was probably the longest he’d seen Chris without a smile on his face, and that included Kewanna incident of 2008. He folded his hands in front of him on the desk, and Ben felt all his plans slipping away from him. There was no arguing with Chris when he got like this. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that,” he said confirming Ben’s worst fears. To Chris’ credit, Ben thought the words looked as if they actually pained him to say out loud. “No, that won’t do at all,” he continued. “I have a strict no fraternization policy. I’m sure you understand.”

Policy was just a political word for plan.

Ben nodded and rose to his feet. He really, really should hate Chris a lot more, he thought.

“I’ll tell you what,” Chris said holding out his hand and smiling again. “Let me find you someone.”

“That’s not necessary—” Ben started to say. He was already half-way out the door.

Chris waved him off. “I’ll find you someone really great,” he said. “Just you wait.”

Ben continued backing out the door as quick as he could without appearing to be physically fleeing Chris’ office. The knot in his stomach had tripled in size, and he kind of felt like me might like to punch something.

The worst part was, Ben understood where Chris was coming from. It was a policy he had encouraged in many places himself (particularly back in Waynetown in 2009. That place had been an incestuous disaster), and he felt like had the tables been turned, in Chris’ position he would say the exact same thing.

But that was that. He’d tried and failed—that was just how some plans went. He would just have to abide by Chris’ no dating rule, like he had followed every other plan in his life that had gotten him to the place he was in now. A place where he could actually make a difference and help make people’s lives better. If that meant he had to miss out on a date with a wonderful, smart, funny, amazing, beautiful woman, well so be it. It was part of the plan.

Of course, he could to take into fact Leslie. She defied all plans.


End file.
